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It has been suggested that there are major changes otw, Salary cap cuts, a new OC and Compensatory Picks. RaiderNation anxiously waits to see light at the end of the tunnel in the way of salary cap space and a full boat of draft picks. This year or the next the light of hope will begin to break through.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Transactions ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Front Office TransactionsOffensive CoordinatorAsst. HC/OC
CarMichael is well respected for his work with Drew Brees and for his offensive mind. With a degree in Mathematics from Boston College, CarMichael has an impressive intellect but it has been suggested that he lacks the charisma to be a HC. Making CarMichael an Asst. HC allows the Raiders to bump up his pay to pry him away from the Saints.

Unsigned/Cuts
• MLB Rolando McClain
• DT Richard Seymour = $16.3M
• DT Tommy Kelly = $11.099M
• P Shane Lechler * - The King era begins.
• TE Brandon Meyers – one of the few bright spots on the offense as a consistent reciever however Meyers offered little in terms of run blocking and YAC. Provided the Raiders can upgrade at TE cheaply perhaps they let Meyers walk.
• OT Khalif Barnes – Barnes will probably be the 1st call if the OL suffers injuries or Bergstrom doesn’t pan out.
• MLB Travis Goethel – Can’t make the club in the ice tub
• CB Ron Bartell – Bartell never got a chance to settle in once he caught the injury bug.
• OG Cooper Carlisle – if he isn’t cut he’s a good candidate to retire.
• CB Shawntae Spencer – Adams has earned a chance at a greater role. Spencer can be brought back later if need be.
• RB Taiwan Jones – You can’t make the club in the ice tub.
• OG Zach Hurd – Limited to RG Hurd will be the victim of a numbers game
• CB/ST Coye Francies - Too many mental errors
• WR Derek Hagan – With a WR corps as fragile as the Raiders, Hagan should keep his phone close
* – 2014 Compensation pick

Free Agency
• TENN Jared Cook 6’5” 248lbs (26 ) 4.49-40
Cook is a highly respected talent however he may not have many suitors because of limited exposure, a late season injury and poor blocking skills. Cook wants to be more of the focus of the offense and it is rumored he badly wants out of TENN unless he gets assurances to be more involved in the offense. With HC Munchak being retained Cook has all the assurances he needs that he needs to move on. Cook is reminiscent of Saint’s TE Jimmy Graham and will play that role in CarMichael’s offense. Cook can be had reasonably.

• SF MLB Larry Grant 6’1” 251lbs (28 )
In 2012 the 49ers tendered Grant with a 7th round tender with no takers despite his admirable performance in spot action. This would suggest that Grant’s services could be acquired with value. Grant badly wants to be a starter and across the Bay hopefully he will get that chance.

• JAX NT Terrance Knighton 6’3” 336lbs (27)
Knighton has fallen out of favor in Jacksonville. Knighton’s career was in jeopardy after getting a glass shard in his eye from a broken bottle during a nightclub melee. In addition, Knighton had a down season and lost his starting gig in a contract year. Knighton will be highly motivated by a 1-year contract in Oakland and could reap great rewards for the Raiders if he returns to form as he holds it down until NTotF, Bilukidi, gets up to speed.

• KC DT Glenn Dorsey 6'1" 297lbs (27 )
I don't believe that Dorsey will be the hot commodity many think he will be. Dorsey will be highly motivated to show KC how they miss-used him.

• DALL CB Mike Jenkins 5’10” 197lbs (28 )
Provided his shoulder clears medical Jenkins will receive a chance to revitalize his career playing in Oakland on a 1-year deal the Raiders are becoming famous for.

2013 NFL Draft
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Overview ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Every draft has its uniqueness and the 2013 draft will be no different. While the 2013 draft is void of a transcendent edge rusher it is SUPER deep with intriguing pass rushing prospects albeit with one flaw or another. The consensus among Raider Nation is that the Raiders MUST do something to address edge pressure but absent a no brainer at the top of the draft the best option would be to trade back and address multiple positions. IMO, there are three transcendent players in next year’s draft: OT Luke Joeckel, OLB Jarvis Jones & CB Dee Milliner. Hopefully, suitors like the Rams or Dolphins with multiple picks will become enamored enough by one of the top prospects to yield the Raiders a bonanza of much needed draft picks. But if not, the Raiders will be more willing to use their draft pick. I guessing that with so many teams in need of a LT the threat of a run at LT may prompt someone to move up.

5 Good Questions:Don’t the Raiders have greater needs than OT?
Absolutely, however the 2013 NFL Draft is weak at DT & DE which is the Raiders greatest need. Trading down could possibly be an option assuming there are buyers. If not the Raiders should not pass on an opportunity to get the best OL in the draft because their current LT is just solid. You don’t draft a developmental DE at 3rd overall simply because you need one. Drafting solely for need is the best way to over-evaluate a prospect and to miss out on a great talent (ie: J.Russell over CJ). Most of the DEs in this draft need work or have holes in their game AND there will be tons of intriguing pass rushing prospects with less risk in the 2nd and later.

What makes Joeckel so special?
Joeckel is considered to have the highest floor (lowest bust factor) and highest ceiling (Pro-Bowl traits) of any prospect in the draft. In addition, Joeckel is an Outland Trophy winner who is already well versed in ZBS techniques. While none of these projections assures that Joeckel won’t bust, what makes Joeckel so special is that his resume is impeccable as he stonewalled EVERY elite pass-rushers he faced.

Why are we dissing Veldheer?
No one is dissing Veldheer, nor is anyone suggesting Veldheer is the problem. Rather, Veldheer’s athleticism and versatility suggests he’s the solution at RT. OL & DL has been killing the Raiders for almost a decade. Keep in mind that no OL has lost as many QBs to injury as the Raiders over the last 5 seasons. That suggests that despite different players the OL deficiencies are systemic to the organization. The Raiders need to get best 5 OL on the field by any means necessary. Surely if Veldheer regresses he’ll STILL be better than Barnes & Willie Smith.

Why do people think it is so easy to just switch sides of the OL?
During his rookie season Veldheer took snaps at C and RT. Hillsdale isn’t an NFL preparatory much of what Veldheer knows about being a LT has been taught him by the Raiders. The statistic facts are that Veldheer is susceptible to speed rushers, his exposure to speed rushers would be reduced on the right. In short, there isn’t one FA or NFL prospect I trust more at RT than Veldheer and there isn’t one available FA or NFL prospect I trust more at LT right now than Joeckel. Period. Imo, the risk is small. Let’s get the best 5 guys on field.

Why wouldn’t Veldheer just walk in FA in 2014?
Once Veldheer qualifies for FA he will either resign or be franchised. If Veldheer regresses and the Raiders let him walk and someone signs Veldheer to big money as a LT then the Raiders will get a compensatory pick in 2015. With no money, limited cap space and few impact draft picks Veldheer presents the best option at RT to have an immediate impact. Veldheer is humble, not expecting to be drafted his full intention was to go to med-school. Playing C at 6’8” suggests that Veldheer is willing to do whatever it takes to help the team.

Stock Analysis: Boiling Over!
Luke Joeckel is considered THE transcendent prospect of the 2013 NFL Draft.

The Skinny: Gabe Jackson is considered the consummate ZBS LG in the draft. While the Raiders specifically drafted Bergstorm to shore up the LG position he has yet to show he is comfortable switching from the right and was unable to beat out journeyman OG Carlisle. Whether Bergstrom is able to beat out rookie Jackson or not the overall depth along the interior of the OL will be improved with this draft selection. As Jackson matures and gains strength he could become more aggressive forming a formidable combination of talent and nastiness.

Stock Analysis: Simmering
Jackson possesses the natural agility and flexibility that the NFL will find intriguing especially in a man his size. The reason Jackson is graded lower than his abilities may indicate is that his play lacks explosion and violence. As a finesse player Jackson is best suited in a ZBS.
UPDATE: Initially when I used Jackson in a mock I had the Raiders reaching on him in the 3rd as a 4th rd prospect. Now Jackson is graded 2-3. Hopefully he will fall to the Raiders when they are on the board.

The Skinny: Buchanan was a pre-season 1st round projection whose stock has fallen into the 4th round after concluding a pedestrian senior season. However, Buchanan still possesses the uncanny athleticism that made many of his evaluators salivate albeit undersized. Imo, Buchanan is representative of the multitude of pass rushers in the 2013 draft, elite athleticism but flawed in one way or another and not the complete prospect one would typically take as a Top 5 selection. Buchanan compares well to Manny Lawson who had his best statistical season with Traver as his position coach.

Stock Analysis: Cold

nepatriotsdraft.com wrote:

Buchanan is not your typical athletic college speed rusher. He plays the “Bandit” DE/OLB position for the Illini, for the same coach who taught Demarcus Ware and the late Gaines Adams the same position (Vic Koenning, current DC at North Carolina). As the “Bandit”, he is asked to be half pass rush end and half edge setter, two things he does very well at this point.
Although he was over-shadowed by his teammate Whitney Mercilus last year, Buchanan looks like the more complete draft prospect to me. if Buchanan can add another 10 pounds (he recently bulked up from 240 to 250) before stepping onto an NFL playing field, his upside will go that much higher and he could be attractive to both 4-3 and 3-4 teams. LINK

Some may consider Buchanan a reach at this point but there will be a ton of similar pass-rushing prospects similar to Buchanan at this point in the draft.

The Skinny: Historically, McKenzie has always waited until late to draft CB, a philosophy straight out of the Saber Metric book. However, new Dir. Of College Scouting Clinkscales is much more of a gambler, who once reached on Revis. The trend on GB CBs during McKenzie’s tenure has been approx. 6ft, 190lbs. Hawthrone who also has return skills fits this mold. Once considered a 3rd round pick questions about his durability are pushing his stock down.

The Skinny:The Mid-West is known for hearty folk with work ethic and fierce loyalty. It comes as no surprise that McKenzie is targeting this type of player to buy into the long-term rebuilding project that is the Raiders. This April McKenzie will revisit his favorite university for prospects to find a player with strong leadership skills. That player could be 2012 Big 10 Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year: Michael Mauti. The co-captain of “Linebacker U” , Mauti is credited with being the inspirational leader that held Penn State together after the NCAA levied heavy sanctions. Mauti was in the Top 10 in many of the Big 10’s statistical categories and was coached by the legendary long-time assistant LB coach Ron Venderlinden.

This bruising runner left Iowa amid allegations of sexual assault that were later dropped so McKenzie should view his record as clean. Coker cited a lack of support from the university as the catalyst for his transfer request as well as a desire to play closer to home. One season at Stoney Brook and I’m guessing Coker will throw his name in the hat for the NFL draft. Iowa basically runs a prostyle WCO so Coker could come in as the CoP in Oakland. Coker gets tons of yards after contact and has a great stiff arm, however he has had fumbling problems in the past. Much earlier in the year I compared Coker to WAS RB Alfred Morris.

• Devon Kennard l DE/OLB l Southern Cal l ht: 6’3” l wt: 250lbs l 40: 4.72
Kennard has been the victim of misfortune. In 2011, Kennard under performed as he played out of position at MLB. This season Kennard seemed primed to break out as he was switched back to his more natural position of DE when he tore a pectoral muscle in the weightroom. Having an unspectacular collegiate resume, Kennard could very likely go undrafted in 2013.

The more tape I watch on Luke Joeckel the more I worry about him being able to succeed at the next level. He's fundamentally sound but he's an average athlete and pretty average in terms of strength too. If we're going to address the offensive line with the third pick I'd rather have Taylor Lewan._________________

The more tape I watch on Luke Joeckel the more I worry about him being able to succeed at the next level. He's fundamentally sound but he's an average athlete and pretty average in terms of strength too. If we're going to address the offensive line with the third pick I'd rather have Taylor Lewan.

I was really high on Lewan. still am. However I think Lewan HAS to be in ZBS while Joeckel can be in either. I guess the best comparison would be Joeckel & Lewan v Clowney. Game Over . . . ._________________

Nodisrespect wrote:

(on building inside out) teams without highly draft DT's make the playoffs and win the superbowl regularly.

Bonez wrote:

Teams that win Superbowls and make the playoffs aren't picking in the Top 5, clearly

I got as far as Carmichael and stopped. We can only interview him if Saints give permission, which they probably won't. If they do he wouldn't come here anyway I would say. Going from working with Brees to Pyror/Palmer? Ugh. He'll stick with Saints unless he gets a HC job._________________

I got as far as Carmichael and stopped. We can only interview him if Saints give permission, which they probably won't. If they do he wouldn't come here anyway I would say. Going from working with Brees to Pyror/Palmer? Ugh. He'll stick with Saints unless he gets a HC job.

That's unfortunate as CarMichael is just a dream admitedly. Regardless the Raiders need to spend the majority of their limited picks in the trenches. I don't believe a trade down will happen despite our desires. Mocks are really about draft picks.

From what I have read CarMichael is a terrible interview. Besides, I think the Raiders could be a longshot if DA makes him [inappropriate/removed].HC/OC. With Murry coming out next season, I'd be a perfect match for a forward thinker._________________

Nodisrespect wrote:

(on building inside out) teams without highly draft DT's make the playoffs and win the superbowl regularly.

Bonez wrote:

Teams that win Superbowls and make the playoffs aren't picking in the Top 5, clearly

I got as far as Carmichael and stopped. We can only interview him if Saints give permission, which they probably won't. If they do he wouldn't come here anyway I would say. Going from working with Brees to Pyror/Palmer? Ugh. He'll stick with Saints unless he gets a HC job.

His contract with the Saints is over, he's free to talk with anyone.

And Bagga, why would we keep DMC if we keep the ZBS? He obviously lacks the vision and patience to run in that scheme. We can't keep both._________________

I got as far as Carmichael and stopped. We can only interview him if Saints give permission, which they probably won't. If they do he wouldn't come here anyway I would say. Going from working with Brees to Pyror/Palmer? Ugh. He'll stick with Saints unless he gets a HC job.

That's unfortunate as CarMichael is just a dream admitedly. Regardless the Raiders need to spend the majority of their limited picks in the trenches. I don't believe a trade down will happen despite our desires. Mocks are really about draft picks.

From what I have read CarMichael is a terrible interview. Besides, I think the Raiders could be a longshot if DA makes him [inappropriate/removed].HC/OC. With Murry coming out next season, I'd be a perfect match for a forward thinker.

I read on and got as far Joekal and then cried. I just don't like the pick, we already have a good LT so I think going for another one is a waste. I'd rather Warmack at G which is a position we struggle in. Now I read the questions an I think the reasons for Veldheer staying on at RT is a bit of a dream. He played centre for us because he was under contract, nothing more, nothing less. It wasn't because he loved the team, coaching staff, fans or whatever else. I also don't think we'll franchise him, that would be a lot of money invested in our tackles. Good effort on the draft I have to say, obviously spent a lot of time on it so fair play for that._________________

I got as far as Carmichael and stopped. We can only interview him if Saints give permission, which they probably won't. If they do he wouldn't come here anyway I would say. Going from working with Brees to Pyror/Palmer? Ugh. He'll stick with Saints unless he gets a HC job.

His contract with the Saints is over, he's free to talk with anyone.

And Bagga, why would we keep DMC if we keep the ZBS? He obviously lacks the vision and patience to run in that scheme. We can't keep both.